Walking in Sunlight
by dreamerwriter15
Summary: When a girl with a special power is found in La Push, it is unclear at first who she is or how she ended up there. However, a vampire is after her and her power and is intent on turning her. When Embry imprints on her, she thinks that she is safe, but she has no idea how much power she holds.
1. Chapter 1

I ran through the woods as fast and as far as my tired legs would take me. I didn't know if I was still being chased, but I knew that I had to keep running. Unfortunately, the adrenaline that had kept me going until now was starting to wear off.

I hadn't realized just how cold it was in Washington in mid-December. I had run out of my hiding place without grabbing my jacket, and I realized now just how cold was. My fingers ached, and I shoved them under my arms to keep them warm.

I had to keep running until I reached the border of La push. I knew that I would be safe from my pursuers once I was inside the reservation. I was familiar with the stories, and I knew that they were true. I knew they were true, because the ones after me were cold and as hard as stone, extremely beautiful, and their irises were bright crimson. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were the Cold-Ones that I had read about in my book of Quiliute legends that my best friend had given me. Her name was Amber and she was a native Quiliute. She had given me the book to entertain me, but I used it as a guidebook after my family was attacked.

I knew well the stories of the shape-shifters who took the form of wolves and defended La Push from the Cold Ones, and I knew that once I was in La Push, I would be safe.

I heard them after me, but I kept running. I knew that I was in the reservation when they stopped following me, fearful of the shape-shifters. The fight or flight response kept me going for longer than I had to, and once I cleared the tree line, my legs gave out and I passed out exhausted in a roadside ditch.


	2. Chapter 2

Embry, Jacob, and Renesmee were on their way to La-Push in Jacob's new black pick-up truck. They had picked Renesmee up and were off to Embry's for dinner. Renesmee was sitting in the back seat listening to the I-pod her father gave her on her birthday. Jake drove quickly, just at the speed limit-he would have gone faster had Renesmee not been in the car. He slowed when Renesmee complained about the truck swerving on a patch of ice. He would do anything for Renesmee.

When Renesmee was satisfied, Jake brought his attention to Embry. Embry was looking out the window and trying to hide the pain on his face. He hated the fact that he had not imprinted like most of the pack. He felt left out from his closest friends, all of whom, even rather obnoxious Paul, had imprinted. What hurt the most was that his best friend Jacob had finally imprinted, and Jake almost never let Nessie out of his sight.

"Embry. Embry." Jake called. Embry didn't move, like he was ignoring him, which was essentially what he was doing. Jake elbowed him. "Hey, earth to Embry."

"What?" Embry snapped.

Jake was taken aback and almost threw his hands into the air to defend himself, but he kept his eyes on the road, and his hands firmly on the steering wheel. "Hey, I just wanted to know what was going through your head. You seem distracted lately." Jake observed.

"My mom still doesn't know that I am a wolf and I…" he trailed off and looked out the window again.

Jake rolled his eyes. He had heard this many times. "Haven't imprinted yet I know. Just give it time. I'm sure it will happen sooner or later." Jake then mumbled something that Embry didn't pay attention to because his eyes spied something in a roadside ditch. He looked closer as the truck approached it. In the ditch, was a girl passed out in the snow.

Embry shouted at Jacob. He swerved, and Renesmee shrieked from the back seat, "Jake, what's going on?"

Embry couldn't concentrate on that. "Stop the truck." He ordered. Jake pulled over, and Embry shoved open the door and ran to the girl in the snow. He turned her over. Renesmee and Jacob rushed over to him. Embry felt her pulse. It was weak, but he discovered something far more important. "She's ice cold." His kind heart was pulled to this girl. "Help me get her into the truck."

During the ruckus, the girl regained consciousness momentarily. "Please help me." She whispered weakly, and opened her medium blue eyes for an instant to make eye contact with Embry, but it was enough. Inside Embry, everything that tied him to who he was; the love for his mother, the loyalty to his pack, the love of his friends, his home, everything, fell away from him. What held him now was the freezing girl in his arms.

Jake felt through the mind link they shared what happened. "Embry, you imprinted."

Embry ignored him as he lifted the girl up into his arms and Renesmee opened the back passenger door to Jake's truck. Embry gently laid the girl on the seat and spread a blanket from the floorboard of the truck over the girl. "Nessie, can you warm her up?"

"I'll try, but she is so cold." Renesmee resumed her seat beside the girl and rested the girl's head in her lap, brushing the girl's cheek in an attempt to warm her up.

Jake and Embry sprang back into the truck. "Get to my house as fast as you can." Embry instructed.

Jake looked back at Renesmee. Her safety was his first and foremost priority. "Don't worry about me Jake, I'll be fine. We just have to get her somewhere warm."

"Ok." answered Jake as he pressed the gas and barreled down the road to Embry's house. If the speed bothered Renesmee, she didn't complain.

"How is she?" Embry soon asked, worriedly.

Renesmee took the girl's hand between hers and tried to warm them. "She's still cold Embry." She said. Embry's heart ached. "Is she going to be ok?" asked the-one-and-a-half-year-old-who-looked-eight with tears in her eyes.

Embry didn't know how to answer, but he could feel in his heart that his imprint was fading, and fading fast. He simply could not allow her to die. He didn't even know her name, but he knew that he would sooner rip his beating heart from his own chest than let her be taken from him.

The drive to his house felt like an eternity, but Embry sprang into action the instant they pulled into the driveway. He pushed open the passenger door once he was out of the truck and immediately wrapped his imprint tighter in the blanket and cradled her gently while he sprinted into the house. His mother was in the kitchen putting dinner on the table, and she was instantly alarmed. "Embry, what is going on?"

"Not now mother. I need your help." He said exasperated.

He ran to his bedroom and laid the girl on his bed, still wrapped in the blanket, and tried to warm her. She was still freezing. His mother walked into his room with her arms crossed. "Embry, what is going on?" she demanded.

Embry grudgingly took his eyes off of the unconscious girl. "Mother I promise to tell you everything; her, the sneaking out, everything. But right now I need you to help me save her." He pleaded.

His mother analyzed her son for a long moment, but she saw the pain in his eyes, and realized how important this young girl was to him. "Alright Embry." She said, and walked into the room.

Her medical training kicked in, and she took the girl's vitals. "She needs to be warmed." She said, stating the obvious. "Jacob, get water on the stove. Embry, get more blankets from the closet."

Renesmee was on her phone calling her grandfather to come and help. He was the resident doctor for the hospital in Forks.

After the girl was bundled and finally warming up, Embry's mother demanded his explanation. "Renesmee, could you stay with her?" He pleaded.

She nodded and promised. "I won't let her out of my sight."

The trio of Jacob, Embry, and his mother walked into the small dining room. "Embry, I'm begging you. Please tell me what is going on?"

Embry looked at Jacob. _Can I tell her? _He asked through his mind link.

Jacob answered. _I give you the Alpha's permission to tell her._

Embry breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally worked up the courage to tell his mother that he was a werewolf. "Mother, with how unbelievable this is, it will be easier for me to show you than to tell you."

His mother looked puzzled, but followed him out the front door. She stopped at the door, but Embry continued into the snow. He took his shirt off and his mother instantly objected. "Embry, what are you doing?"

"It is ok mother." He assured her. Embry's remaining clothes flew off of him and where Embry Call had stood a moment ago, a huge gray, black spotted wolf stood in his place.

His mother was completely taken aback and in truth fell backwards in fright. Jake caught her, but her hands were shaking and she was stunned that this horse sized wolf was actually her son.

"The legends are true?" she asked.

"Yes Mrs. Call, all of them." Jacob explained. She simply nodded. "One of the legends is imprinting."

"Yes, I know that one. A wolf imprints when he finds his soul mate, and she can never be harmed by anyone, lest it destroy the imprinted wolf. I always thought that they were stories."

Embry was human and dressed when Jake and his mother were finished talking. "Mother, now you know what has been going on. I'm sorry I had to lie to you all that time, but I had no choice. A wolf can never disobey the alpha." He explained.

Embry's mother walked up to her son and placed her hand reassuringly on his cheek. "I understand now Embry. You're not grounded anymore."

Embry smiled at his mother before they walked together back inside the house. "Mother, the girl in my room, I imprinted on her." He explained.

His mother nodded before opening the door for Doctor Cullen. The blond haired man with amber eyes walked straight to the room where the girl was. Renesmee was still trying to warm the girl and Embry was holding onto the girls hand tightly. Doctor Cullen checked on the girl, and found her extremely hypothermic. "She needs to be warmed, but all that you are doing is sufficient."

Embry asked dejectedly. "Will she be ok?"

Doctor Carlisle turned to him and said, "Yes Embry, she will be just fine."

Embry breathed a sigh of relief. The girl moved her fingers in Embry's hand. "Hey, she's waking up." Renesmee held onto her other hand as Embry stood over the girl's face when she opened her eyes. He soon saw her beautiful blue eyes stare at him.


	3. Chapter 3

I was wrapped in a blanket, but I could not warm up no matter how hard I tried. It was then that I noticed that the blanket was made of snow. I looked around, and found that everything, even the people tending to me, were made of snow and ice. I also couldn't get up out of the snow-bed that I was in. My body heat was causing my snow blanket to melt, and then re-freeze. I was sure I was going to freeze to death.

I heard a car screech and a worried voice near me a few seconds later. It was muffled as I was still stuck in the winter wonderland, but the sounds outside of it were breaking through this nightmare. "She's ice cold." The voice remarked. It sounded kind, and warm. I began to feel myself finally warming up, and I broke through the dream enough to ask for help. That is at least what I had hoped.

I remembered how to open my eyes for a split second. What I saw before lapsing back into my snowy dream was a shape that vaguely resembled a person's face, but it was in silhouette. I tried to hold onto the image and the heat that was enveloping me, but I was soon defeated by my dream. Now however I was in a real bed with a wool blanket and a heated pillow.

When I finally started to wake up again, I heard a few voices. They were muffled, but I could understand them. "Will she be ok?" the young male voice that I remembered asked sadly.

An older, calmer, unfamiliar male voice replied, "Yes Embry, she will be just fine." Questions filled my foggy head. _Who was this Embry? Who were these people? Where was I? Were they worrying about _me_?_ _Was this _Embry_ the same person I asked for help? _

While I deliberated these things in my head, I unknowingly twitched my fingers. "Hey, she's waking up." I heard a new female voice say excitedly. The voice sounded younger, say six maybe. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw the face from earlier when I was in the snow looking back at me, but it took my eyes a few minutes to adjust to see it clearly. Soon I brought the boy's face into focus.

He had a slender, handsome face, with russet skin and a slightly dimpled chin. His hair was short and black. The look in his warm brown eyes was protective and kind. I knew that I was safe from the Cold Ones. "You're awake." He breathed happily.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the fogginess that clouded my brain, and made it hard to think, but I ended up getting dizzy. The boy still stared intently at me, like I was the most important thing to him. "Are you Embry?" I asked slowly, my words slightly slurred.

"Yes. Who are you?" he asked in a velvety soft, yet silky smooth voice that I instantly trusted.

"My name is Anastasia, but I prefer to be called Anne. Where am I?" I asked.

A woman with long black hair handed me a cup of tea. It was calming and tasted faintly of chamomile. "I'm Tiffany, Embry's mother, and you are in our home, and out of the cold."

"Thank you." I told her and smiled. ''How long have I been….?" When I looked straight ahead, I screamed and dropped my teacup. It shattered on the floor as I scrambled to get away from the angelic man with gold eyes. He was a Cold One, I just knew it.

"Anne, Anne, what is wrong?" Embry asked. He held my hand tightly and stoked the back of my hand in a circular motion to try and calm me down.

"He… He's a Cold One!" I stammered, my eyes wide and terrified.

They all gasped at my response. "You know about us?" asked the man with the golden eyes.

I nodded timidly like a bobble-head. "Please don't hurt me." I begged him.

The man chuckled. "Don't worry. My family doesn't feed on humans."

Embry kept stroking my hand. "Do you know about…?" He trailed off, like he couldn't let the words out. I knew what he was trying to say. He was asking if I knew about the Werewolves.

"I do know about the werewolves. I know the Quiliute legends well, about the shape-shifters and all of that." I expressed after I had calmed down. Embry kept holding my hand even after I was ok. "That was how I knew that I would be safe once I got into La Push. That is where I am, right?"

"Yes Anne. You are in La Push. What were you running from?" Embry asked.

I shivered and he automatically draped another blanket on top of me. "Thank you Embry." I took a deep breath and answered, "Vampires."

"Why ..?" He stopped himself. "Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Would you please tell us your story from the beginning, Anne?"

I smiled at him. "I'd lived with my family in Seattle until Thanksgiving day. My entire family was there to celebrate the holiday. But, vampires broke into my house and killed them all, even my baby brother." I started sobbing and Embry let me lay my head on his shoulder and cry.

Embry stroked my hair comfortingly. "If you want to finish telling us later that's ok Anne."

I lifted my head from his shoulder- his shirt now bearing tear stains-and wiped the rest from my eyes. "No. I have to get this off my chest." He nodded at me. "My parents told me to run, so I did while they sacrificed themselves for me. I just ran north, because I knew that if I got to the reservation, I would be safe from the vampires. I have no idea how I was able to outrun them. I'd hide in the woods every night and run during the day. The last morning that I remember before now I was ambushed and I ran in a panic into La Push. The rest is a blur and the next thing I know I'm here."

"What would vampires want with you?" asked the girl who first noticed when I was waking up.

"The leader of a coven near here wants to change me."

"Why?" asked Embry.

"I have a gift that he desperately wants. Can I show you?" I held out my hand expectantly to him. He didn't hesitate to let me touch his face like I thought he would. His bonds and connections flooded my mind, plus one that I did not see coming. "You have intense love for your mother, a hatred of vampires, except for the Cullens." I looked closer into his emotional connections. "You love your pack, especially Jacob and Quil, but Paul annoys you, and… you have a very special bond to me, kind of a _mating_ bond?"

"Yes, that's right." He drew away from me, but instantly held my hand again. "How did you do that?"

"I've had that gift for as long as I can remember. I can see the emotional ties that people share, but I can't affect them, only see them."

"That is very interesting Miss…" asked the vampire, drawing a blank on my last name.

"Elliott. Anastasia Alison Elliott." I answered him politely. I was afraid that if I offended him, he just _might_ eat me.

I turned my attention back to Embry. "Embry; you just met me and I've only been to La Push a few times, but your bond with me is so strong. Why?" I asked, analyzing his face. I was hoping the answer would pop out at me.

It did in a way, but from his mouth. "Do you know the story of the Third Wife?" he asked.

I let a puzzled look envelope my face. _ Did I know that one? _ I thought back to the book on Quiliute legends that Amber Clearwater had given me not too long ago. I remembered looking that one up specifically during one of my bed-time readings but found the entire section ripped out.

"No Embry, I don't."

"Ok." He began explaining. "The story of the Third Wife is how imprinting is explained to the children, but they think that they are purely bedtime stories." I listened, mesmerized. He continued. "But I think I can tell you the truth. When a wolf imprints on a girl, it's as if his personal gravity shifts. Gravity no longer ties him to the place where he stands, she does. The wolf is _anything_ that his imprint needs, be it a friend, protector, brother, or a soul mate, and her safety and happiness is his first and foremost priority."

Everything was making sense now. "Did you imprint on _me, Embry_? Is that why your bond to me is so strong?"

"Yes Anne. You are beginning to understand."

"You won't let the vampires get me, will you, Embry? I don't want to be changed." I asked timidly.

He smiled and hugged me tightly. "Never Anne, I will never let them take you from me." He promised.


	4. Chapter 4

"Embry, who are all of these people?" I asked. I looked around the room. Many more people had crowded into the room, and I felt a little on display. There were two different groups of people. One group all shared short black hair, russet skin, and a large circular tribal tattoo on the right shoulder. I figured that they were all werewolves since Embry looked the same.

Two of the wolves I recognized. The lone woman, Leah Clearwater, and her brother Seth, were Amber's siblings. Amber was the middle child.

Everyone in the other group looked different from each other. One girl looked sprite-like, with her black hair cut short. Two others, a boy and a girl, were tall, blond, looked like a super models, and obviously twins. One other girl with full dark brown hair looked oddly familiar, but I couldn't place her. They all shared the worlds palest skin – slightly paler than mine, and people had called me a vampire many times before – and identical amber colored eyes.

"I wanted you to meet everyone." Embry explained. He looked at my puzzled face, and found it funny, because he laughed at me. "Oh I'm sorry, Anne, I figured that you wouldn't want to be completely in the dark about everyone here."

"No, it's ok Embry." I assured him.

"Anne!" I was suddenly being hugged by a girl with long black hair. I knew exactly who she was.

"Amber!" I exclaimed happily.

"I'm so happy that you're here Anne. How did you like the book?"

"I really liked it."

Finally the energy from all of these people was too much for me to take after being in a cold-induced coma. "I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm a little stressed right now. Can I talk with you all later?"

All of the guests, except for the two who had been with Embry when he rescued me, nodded and left. Before Amber left she informed me, "You know where to find me Anne." I waved good bye to her and asked Embry to help me out of bed. I desperately wanted a shower. It was then that I realized that I had no clothes except for the ones I was wearing, and those were dirty and torn.

"You wouldn't happen to have some extra clothes, would you?" I asked sheepishly. Embry laughed.

"I can ask Alice for some of our clothes that you can borrow. She will want to take you shopping soon though no doubt." The girl who had seen me wake up offered. She was still in the bedroom with me, along with the tall Quiliute boy who appeared to be Embry's friend.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your names."

"I'm Jacob Black. You probably remember me." Embry's friend remarked.

In my memory of him he was a lot smaller and had long hair, but I hadn't seen him in a few years. "Yes, I remember you Jake."

"I'm Renesmee." said the girl.

"That is a very _unique _name, Renesmee."

"That's exactly why Anne." Explained Jacob, "She is my imprint, but she is a half vampire."

I was shocked. I'd never heard of such a thing. "But how?" I quickly blushed, perfectly knowing the answer and trying hard not to think about it. I put the question another way. "Who are your parents Renesmee?"

"Please call me Nessie. I'm the daughter of Edward Cullen and the former Bella Swan."

"Bella?" I remembered playing with her once as a little girl, but she had been a few years older than me.

"Yes. She was changed a little over a year ago." Now I recognized the girl from the group who I couldn't place.

"The girl who was here, that was Bella wasn't it?" I asked Embry. He nodded.

Embry's mother called from the kitchen, "Nessie, Jake, if you could get the clothes for Anastasia while she takes a shower that would be great. Embry, could you help me with dinner? Anne, don't take too long in the shower, dinner will be done in less than half an hour."

"I won't, I promise." Jake and Nessie left and Embry led me to the small bathroom before leaving to help his mother. I turned on the water as hot as it would go, and stripped out of my soiled clothes. "What should I do with my clothes?" I asked Embry's mother from in the bathroom.

"Don't worry about it Anne, Alice will give you new ones. We'll get rid of them, unless you want them washed?" Embry's mother answered from the kitchen.

"That would be nice. I'll try and find time to mend them." I answered. I could hear clanking plates and rustling cutlery, so I knew that Embry was getting the table set. I jumped into the shower and washed the evidence of my quest off of me. No matter how much I washed though, I knew I would never wash the secret of my origins away. That secret would have to stay safely where no one could ever be harmed by or get to it; inside my head.

I knew I was not fully human. I didn't know exactly what I was, but I knew I wasn't normal because at twelve I looked seventeen which was my current age, and I haven't grown since. My mind kept racing ahead of my age though, and now I had a college degree in Creative Writing and a degree in Fashion and Apparel Design.

Because I grew so fast, I had to be homeschooled and didn't really take part in anything social except on the computer until I had grown up. My parents told me it was for my own protection, but I didn't know why until the vampires came for me and my gift. My parents told me that if I practiced it I would get more adept at using it, but all that I had ever been able to do with it is see the connections that people share with each other. Could I really learn more about my talent?

I thought all of this through as I washed my blond tresses that I had once matched to a Natural-Blond hair dye. I was surprised when the water ran red as it raced to the drain. I checked for a source of the blood, but only found blood stains on my legs that were quickly washing away. They looked just like scratches from running for my life through the forest. I had no visible wounds because my body healed at an exceptional rate - another sign that I was not a normal human.

Jake and Nessie returned before I was out of the shower and I found a stack of clothes on the toilet. I examined the clothes, and found a long sleeve shirt and a pair of brown slacks. I put them on, finding them a perfect fit.

I walked out of the bathroom and helped finish setting the table. Tiffany put the food in the center of the table, and we all sat down to dinner. Thankfully there was a place for me since the table could seat six, but I was pretty sure that they had not been planning for a fifth person. "Let's eat." Tiffany ordered.

I ate for a few minutes; it was fish, and it was very good, but I had something on the back of my mind, and that made me lose my appetite. "Um…" I started.

They all looked at me. "What Anne?" asked Jacob, before putting another piece of fish in his mouth.

"Well, I know that Embry imprinted on me, but I have nowhere to go. My house was burning when I last saw it, and everyone that I care about who doesn't live here in La Push is dead. I don't have a home anymore." I explained.

Everyone at the table shared looks as if they were communicating in thought. For all I knew, they were. I felt a little left out. After a long wordless conversation, Embry and his mother shared a look. She nodded, and Embry smiled at me. "Come with me Anne." He instructed.

"Ok." I said meekly. He smiled one of his warm smiles and I was instantly confident again. He led me to the room right next to his. He opened the door and showed me the guest bedroom. "It isn't much, but it will do." It was about half the size of my old bedroom. It had a twin sized bed, a small empty dresser, and a small closet. The single window faced north, and was framed with a faded floral curtain.

I turned and hugged Embry tightly. "Thank you Embry. It's perfect." I told him gratefully. He hugged me in return, and I kissed him on the cheek.

We returned to the dinner table and Embry helped me into my chair like a true gentleman. "When do you want to plan your and Alice's shopping trip?" Renesmee asked.

* * *

In a mansion in a secluded part of southern Washington, a young man with scarlet eyes sat in a tall arm chair and thought. He heard a knock on the door to his room. "Come in." He instructed in a voice that was far too perfect and beautiful to be a humans'.

The massive double doors opened and three vampires crazed with bloodlust and sporting ruby red eyes from feeding strode into the room at vampire speed. They all promptly kneeled before the seated man. "Master, the girl got away from us." They reported dejectedly.

The seated man looked disappointed. "I must have her power for my plan to succeed. She is vital. Send over my friends."

"Yes master." The three vampires acknowledged before standing and leaving the room.

"She will be mine."


	5. Chapter 5

"I told you, I don't need name-brand things Alice." I protested for what seemed like the tenth time since Alice brought me to Port Angeles.

"Oh Anne, you don't know what you're saying, you can't go around wearing stuff from the Salvation Army and Good-Will now can you?"

"Oh yes I can." I retorted.

"You are sounding just like Bella before she was turned." She pouted and her resulting face was adorable.

I could tell that I would not win this argument anytime soon, so I tried an alternative. "Alright Alice, how about a compromise, let's buy from JCPennys. and Kohls. It's good stylish things, what you want, but it's not name brand, which is what I want, deal?" I offered the black haired vampire.

She searched the future, no doubt looking at the outcomes of accepting and rejecting my compromise. It was a fair deal. "Yours wins out this time Anne. If I hadn't accepted we would have been fighting all day and I would have lost an important friend." She chirped.

I smiled at her, and took Embry's hand into Penny's. I was so happy that he came with us today. He kept me from exploding at Alice several times as she picked out fashionable things right off the runway that people would only wear to a ball. That was all well and good, but she was trying to pick these things for my whole wardrobe. I had to stop her at five. Embry helped me pick out a good amount of practical clothes, and once I had enough to fill my dresser drawers neatly with winter clothes I indulged Alice and let her turn me into a Barbie doll for a half hour.

We didn't buy any of the formal dresses because I knew that if I needed one I would use my fashion degree and just design one that no one else on earth would have. Alice would probably protest, but she would have to see my way eventually.

We finally made it out of Penny's and into a Bed-Bath-and-Beyond to pick out linens for my room. After Alice tried to point me towards the royal purple designer sheets with gold swirls that I vetoed, I settled on a set that was white with big ice blue snowflakes.

When we got home, Embry helped me put my new clothes away while Alice critiqued the size of my closet. We finally shooed her away and back home but she promised to come back soon and help me with purchases of make-up.

I sighed and rolled my eyes when she left. As I made my bed with my new flannel sheets, Embry was throwing the new quilt that came with my sheets into the wash like his mother ordered. I collapsed on my bed after dressing in one of the outfits Alice just bought for me. I would give her back the loaners as quickly as possible.

Embry strode into my room as I was laying on my bed thinking of how my life had changed over the past few days. According to Carlisle, the vampire doctor who had tended to me after I was found, I could only have been out for half an hour or so when Embry rescued me since I had no signs of frostbite. Taking into account how fast I healed though, a fact that I had kept secret from Carlisle-I still didn't trust him completely yet-I could have easily been out for much longer.

"If Alice takes me shopping for make-up next, we are probably going to lose the bathroom counter aren't we?" I joked.

"Yep." Embry answered. He sat on the edge of my bed and held my hand.

"Thank you, Embry, for all of this."

"It's my job." He asserted.

"I know it's more than that Embry. You only have to make me comfortable, but you go out of your way to make me happy, because you have the kindest heart I've ever known."

"Thank you Anne."

That night I ate dinner with Embry and his mother, and then we sat on the couch and watched a movie. I dosed off in his arms, and Embry carried me to my bedroom and laid me in my bed. I awoke when I felt him pull the quilt close to my face. "Thank you." I slurred. "Good night Embry." I was asleep again before he turned off the light.

_I was in a dark forest, with owls hooting eerily and a cold wind blowing my hair. I walked farther into the forest, looking for a way out. I tripped and fell onto the forest floor. As I was pushing myself back up to my feet, three vampires, the exact same ones who had come after me and killed my family, fell from the trees and landed lightly on their feet. They had a menacing look in each of their eyes. _

_Instinct taking over, I turned tail and ran back into the deep forest, the vampires at my heels. When they were about to catch me, I fell off of a cliff._

_Somewhere in this I heard Embry call my name. "Anastasia!"_

"Anastasia!" He shouted, shaking me frantically to try and free me from my nightmare.

My eyes flew open and I stared into his, finding confusion and extreme worry. "What happened, Embry?" I asked him.

"I was to going bed when I heard you screaming. It took me a good five minutes to wake you up. Were you having another nightmare?" I nodded in reply, my eyes brimming with tears. He kissed my forehead and set me gently back down on my pillow. "It's all right Anne. It's over." He assured me and walked to the door to leave me again.

"Embry." I begged quickly.

He turned to me. "Yes Anne?"

"Please stay with me." He smiled and walked back over to me. He lazed on my bed and wrapped his strong arms around me. I soon fell back to sleep listening to his quiet breathing and his heartbeat. I had no more nightmares that night. I felt completely safe with him so near to me, protectively watching over me.

Before I completely fell asleep, I heard my window open and one of Embry's pack members, I wasn't entirely sure who but it might have been Jacob, mutter quietly, "Embry, it's time for patrol."

Embry stroked my hair. "I'm sorry Jacob, I can't tonight. Anne is having nightmares again, and she wants me here." He explained.

Jacob sighed. "We have to figure out what is going on with her, Embry. You are one of our best wolves, and we have had to decrease the perimeter around the Cullen and Forks without you with us."

"I know." Embry's voice sounded pained. "We'll think of something, but she needs me here right now." I hated that Embry was forced to choose me over his pack, but I only felt safe when he was near. However, I don't think that he could bear to be away from me when I was frightened, and my recent nightmares were scaring me to bits.

"Ok Embry. I'll talk to the Cullens and see if they can help." Jacob offered.

"Thank you Jake." I answered before I completely fell asleep.

Embry brushed my hair with his hand again and whispered to me, "Rest now Anne. I won't leave you." I smiled, heard the window softly shut and Jacob leave before completely zonking out.

* * *

Jacob ran to the Cullen's house after his patrol was over, and found them all in the great house. "I knew that you would be here tonight." remarked Alice in her high voice. Jacob had a troubled expression on his face. Renesmee ran up to him and held her hand to his face.

"No Nessie. Anne isn't ok." Jake still hugged Renesmee and felt her pull his thoughts and memories from his head as she gave him hers. She had been regularly practicing her gift, and could now read the thoughts of others as easily as her own, but she still had to be touching them.

Jacob put Renesmee down and she sprinted to sit beside her mother, who sat on the white couch reading a book. Jacob addressed the Cullens as a whole. "I came to ask for your help on Embry's behalf. Anne is having nightmares that are driving Embry crazy. He won't leave her and we need him on patrol with the recent threat."

Rosalie looked up from her card game and asked, "Is there anything that we can do to help?" Rosalie really liked Anne, partially because she vowed that she didn't want to be turned into a vampire. Rosalie also liked that Anne loved to make fancy clothes, especially ones inspired by the 1940s, so when Anne would visit she and Rose would spend hours designing. Anne also understood Rosalie more than the others did.

Edward thought for a minute. He turned to Carlisle, who had been unobtrusively listening in on the conversation from a corner while playing the card game with Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. "Carlisle?"

"We could stay with her for a night or two, and try to figure out what is going on?" He offered sympathetically.

"I'll send that Embry and Anne's way." Jacob answered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey Dreamerwriter15 here, **

**This will be the last daily update since I start school again tomorrow. I will probably be able to update once or twice a week, or more if I have time. I love how this is going and don't want to stop it. I will update again as soon as I can. Please review, I am always trying to improve my writing. I love you, everyone who reads my imaginative works. **

**P.S. Anne is based off of me (I seriously look like her, and yes I do have the pale skin and have been called a vampire a few times), and her name comes from my all time favorite novel _Persuasion_ by Jane Austen. **

I woke up to Embry brushing my hair with my large oval shaped hairbrush. "How did you sleep?" he asked. He was still in the jeans and long sleeve shirt that he was in last night. He really didn't leave me last night, just like he had promised.

"I slept well. You know, you could have changed. I wouldn't have minded."

"I didn't want you to have another nightmare. It freaks me out when you do. You're so scared and alone, but I can't do anything to help you. "

I held my hand to his face and held it there for a minute. He did the same to me. "I'm sorry that I'm coming between you and your pack." I apologized.

"It's ok Anne."

Jake called Embry as I was in the shower and discussed the Cullens' offer to help. Embry, Tiffany, and I had unanimously agreed. As soon as we were dressed and had finished breakfast, Jake knocked on the door. "I'll get it." Embry said. He opened the door, and more than Jacob walked through.

"Hey Jake." Embry greeted happily. They did one of those man-handshakes that certainly was not a handshake.

A few of the Cullens had come with Jacob to visit, but most of them were probably still at their house. Carlisle, Jasper, Renesmee, and Rosalie sauntered through the door. "Good morning Rose." I told her as we hugged. Her hard, icy skin contrasted sharply with the warmth of mine.

"Hello Anne, we came to help."

We all walked into the dining room. Carlisle, Jasper, Rosalie, Tiffany, Embry, and I sat at the kitchen table. Since it only seated six, Jacob and Renesmee plopped down on the couch and watched a Saturday morning cartoon. I marveled at how Jacob could stand to watch that as if he were a little kid again, but Embry had told me once that another imprinted wolf, Quil, had played peek-a-boo for an hour straight because it made his imprint Claire, Sam's four year old niece, happy.

"Ok Anastasia, tell me what is going on." Carlisle ordered.

"Well, over the past few days, I've been having horrible nightmares. They're always the same. I'm alone in a dark forest, I trip, then the three vampires who killed my family start chasing me, then when they are about to catch me I fall off of a cliff. If I don't wake up then, I fall into a place full of darkness and fear." I explained.

I could imagine Carlisle taking notes, but he didn't have to with his vampire memory. "When did these start?" he asked, his medical training kicking in.

I thought for a minute. "They started a few days after I came here, and I've had them every night since."

"And how long exactly have you had them?"

"For a week. They go away when Embry is with me, but I know that the pack needs him." I answered quickly.

"Ok." Carlisle deliberated. "Anne, would you mind if Jasper, Edward and I stayed with you tonight? We need to see what is happening in your dream."

I nodded in reply. I wanted to be rid of these dreams as soon as possible and I knew that the pack desperately needed Embry.

He looked at Embry. "I'm afraid that for this to work, you can't be with her tonight."

I turned and gazed at Embry beside me. He suddenly looked like a man being burned at the stake. "I'll be ok for one night. The pack needs you." I assured him.

"Ok Anne. But if you need me, just call my name, and I'll be there."

"Thank you."

* * *

That night, the Cullens were spread about Anastasia's room. "Are you ready Anastasia?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes." She answered. Embry stood beside Anne's bed, and clearly didn't want to go. "I'll be ok Embry. Go, you need to run." She ordered playfully.

"Ok."

"Embry, come on!" Jacob yelled from outside. Embry stared at Anne. She nodded, and he leapt out the window, shifting into a large gray wolf before he hit the ground. Jacob and the rest of the Black pack phased and followed Embry into the woods beyond.

After about half an hour Anne finally fell asleep. Edward and Jasper watched her protectively. Edward watched her nightmare unfold and no sooner had she started tossing and screaming in her sleep then Jasper tensed and his eyes went wild. He was sensing the fear that surrounded her like an aura and wore her down.

Edward shuddered as he watched her dream in real time. It was just as she had told them, and they woke her up after she had fallen off of the cliff into the sea of fear. Her blue eyes were terrified when they opened. "Did you learn anything?" she asked shakily. Jasper used his power to control emotions on her and calmed her down.

"The dream is filled with fear, but not the kind that you have experienced. Something, or some_one, _is giving you these dreams." Jasper assessed. Renesmee had tapped into Anne's memories and scanned everything that scared her. Anne hadn't allowed her to see that she wasn't human.

"Is there anything that you can do?" she asked.

"I wonder if Bella can help." Edward mused.

"Does she have a power?"

"She has a very strong mental shield. She is so adept with it that she can shield someone and be completely separate from it." Edward explained.

"Ok, I'll try anything." Anne said.

"I'll stay tonight so you can sleep." Jasper offered.

"Thanks Jasper." She answered.

Embry, meanwhile, couldn't stop worrying about his imprint. He constantly had an ear cocked in the direction of his house in case he heard Anne call his name.

_Embry, meet us at the clearing. _He heard Sam say in his head. Because of the recent threat of vampires, both the Black pack and the Uely pack had merged for the time being and Jake had abdicated his authority to Sam.

_Ok, I'm on my way._ Embry answered as he ran faster through the forest. He had traveled along a side trail to think, but when Sam called him he felt an irresistible pull to follow Sam's order. The only thing that could possibly have steered away from the clearing was if he had heard Anne call for him. He didn't, and that made him feel a bit better as he ran to the clearing.

Not hearing her both relieved him and scared him, because he knew she was alright if she didn't call him, but he was also afraid that she was suffering through that nightmare again and was unable to. He could however hear her screams no matter how far away he was, and that caused his heart to break. He couldn't hear Anne in the physical sense as he ran through the forest miles away from her, but he heard her screams in his head.

Jake broke through Embry's personal agony. _Embry, I know you're worried, I am too, but we have to keep our heads in the game._

_Ok Jake. _Embry answered his former Alpha as they met in the clearing with all of the other wolves. They were clearly on high alert, and Embry needed to be informed on the threat. Since he had been with Anne every night since the threat occurred, he was fairly clueless.

Sam initiatedthe meeting with all of the wolves and gave them a heads up. _Since a few days after Anastasia Elliott took refuge here in La-Push we have been consistently challenged by a group of three vampires on the border of our territory. _Sam brought the memory of the vampires from Paul's head, since he had been the one to get closest to the vampires before they retreated, and displayed it for every wolf to see.

Embry studied the image and soon spoke up. He knew these vampires. _They look exactly like the vampires that Anne described. They are the ones who were after her._

Sam started pacing the clearing. _This is much bigger than we thought. _He said, then went silent.

Jake thought for a minute as he dredged up memories from Embry's mind. _Anne was being chased by these vampires when she stumbled into La-push two weeks ago. As we all know, Embry has imprinted on her, and so we are required to protect her with all we have. The coven from the South wants Anne, and they seem determined to get her in any way they can. _

Sam watched all of this and took it in stride. He continued pacing the clearing, the subservient wolves, Embry included, spread to the edge of it so Sam had room to think.

_How is Anne? _ Embry heard Quil ask in his head. He had taken an instant liking to Anne, and so had Claire.

_These nightmares she's been having are scaring her out of her wits, and it is driving me insane. Edward, Carlisle, and Jasper are seeing what they can do to help her. _Embry explained.

_We'll do whatever we can to help. _Quil answered.

_I know. _

The vampires that kept trying to break through the border were part of a coven that both the Packs and the Cullens had been keeping an eye on for a while. There had been numerous disappearances over the past six months from all over the state and there had been no doubt in the minds of the Cullens or the Shape-Shifters what was happening to the missing people. The coven was making a new-born army.

The pack and the Cullens mutually decided not to interfere unless the coven drew too much attention or they moved north from southern Washington to the area around Forks and the reservation, then they would stand as one just as they had two summers before.

Sam finally started to plot. The double timbre of the Alpha enveloped Sam's voice as he gave the pack their orders. He hated having to use it since no one in the pack could defy him when he did. Jake could of course, but since he had given up his power temporarily, he would follow Sam's orders without question.

_The coven and Anne are connected somehow. We MUST protect her. I want everyone on alert, and I don't want Anne to leave La-Push or Forks until this is resolved. Six wolves must always be on patrol. _The pack nodded in unison. _Embry, I want you to stay with Anne at all times. No one can do a better job of protecting her than you. Go now! _Sam ordered and Embry was all too happy to comply.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Embry ran as a wolf to his house before he phased back to a human upon smelling the Cullen's, Jasper in particular. He tried not to get jealous that someone else was giving attention to the girl he loved, even if she didn't reciprocate, yet. If he saw Jasper doing anything funny though, he might lose it.

He had hidden his clothes in a nearby tree and put them on before striding up to her window. He didn't know how she would take it if he wasn't wearing anything.

When he reached her window and peered inside he saw Anne sleeping peacefully. Jasper was not near her, but he knew that he was in the same room because the the scent was fresh and strong. He scanned the room and found the blond, shaggy haired vampire in a corner with a direct line of sight to Anne, but the expression on his face was a little out of place. He looked like he was concentrating, frustrated, and exhausted even though he knew that vampires didn't sleep.

_Yikes,_ Embry thought, _I don't think that her nightmares are just nightmares with how hard he is concentrating. It's almost like he is fighting a mental battle. _

Embry thought this through in a second or two and carefully opened the window so as not to wake the peacefully sleeping and beautiful angel lying on her snowflake-patterned sheets.

Jasper heard Embry at the window and motioned for him to come into the room. Despite his best efforts, Anastasia did wake up, but not from the sound of the window opening. Cold winter air rushed into the room and swarmed around her like a moth to a light, shocking Anne awake, but she smiled when she saw Embry climbing through the window. Instantly, he saw Jasper lose his frustrated expression and glide over to him. Normally his instincts would be telling him to kill the vampire, but Jasper was a Cullen for one thing, and for another he was trying to help Anne.

After "Chief" Jacob imprinted on Renesmee, the treaty with the Cullens was changed so the Cullens could come and go as they pleased, mostly because Renesmee was always with Jacob, and he was either at his small red house (with her) or at her's in Forks.

"How is she?" Embry asked when he was back inside his warm house.

The blond vampire sighed and replied wearily, whispering so that Anne wouldn't hear, or more accurately, so Anne wouldn't worry. "These nightmares are not a product of her imagination."

Embry stilled. "Wait, you mean someone is _making_ her have nightmares?" He asked in disbelief, and maybe a bit too loudly. Anne had since fallen back to sleep, but she stirred and shifted. They waited until she was asleep again to continue.

Jasper spoke so quietly that a human wouldn't be able to make out what he said, but Embry heard loud and clear. "Yes, she already knows that, but I think I know _who_ is doing it. When I was a young vampire, I was part of a newborn army and one of our enemies was a vampire named Gabriel whose coven is not far from here." Jasper explained.

Pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place in Embry's head. "That is the same coven that the pack has been keeping tabs on isn't it?"

"Yes, but during the last battle that we fought against him, he and a handful of his vampires escaped and we lost them. One of them has control over dreams. She can make anyone have the dream that she wants them to."

Embry slowly absorbed this revelation. He looked over at his imprint, and instantly felt angered that anyone would want to harm someone as kind and beautiful as Anne. Her long blond hair fell over her shoulder as she slept, and she had a smile on her pale, peaceful face.

"Now that you are here, you banished her dream." Jasper explained.

"How?"

Jasper shrugged his granite shoulders. "Something to do with imprinting perhaps? I don't know. Carlisle knows more about it than I do." He said in his thick Texas drawl. "She feels safe now."

"I heard her screaming my name while I was on patrol." Embry hinted with a tortured expression.

"Yes, she was." Jasper looked at Anne, then at Embry. "It looks like she is in good hands for tonight."

Jasper turned to leave. Embry grabbed his stone arm and ignored the feeling of throwing his hand in ice water. "Sam ordered me to always stay with her until this is over." Embry informed the blond vampire.

"Then neither my, nor Bella's talent will be needed. Good night Embry." Embry let go of Jasper's arm, and he glided out the front door.

Embry crawled onto Anastasia's bed and wrapped his warm arms protectively around her. She shivered but smiled. He wasn't sure if she could hear him but he said, "From now on I won't leave you Anne. I'm staying right here."

* * *

I awoke the next morning to Embry's arms clasping me to him. "Good morning." I mumbled, still half asleep.

I got up and dressed and then Embry set me on the edge of the bed and sat next to me with a pained expression on his face. I sensed that he was about to give me bad news. "Anne. While I was on patrol last night, the pack figured out the the coven that we have been tracking and you are connected. Sam ordered me to protect you."

I interjected, my curiosity getting the better of me. "That's why you returned early."

He sighed. I knew I had gotten it right. "Yes, but I also couldn't stand your screams in my head."

I gasped slightly. "You heard me? But, you were miles away."

"It's imprinting I guess. Anyway, Sam told me that for the pack to protect you, you can't go outside of the reservation or Forks until these vampires are dealt with."

"Oh." I sounded like a sullen frog.

"Is that ok, Anne?" he asked me.

"Yes, it's fine." I said. Sooner or later though, I would feel caged, but hopefully this "town arrest" thing wouldn't last that long. Right now the only thing I wanted to do was get out of the house and get some fresh air.

"Can we get out of the house?" I asked Embry.

He smiled. "Of course. There is actually something that I want to show you." He had a mischievous gleam in his eye. I raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "Go get your jacket and I'll meet you out back." He stated.

"Ok." I met him outside a few minutes later after polishing off a homemade granola bar and was surprised to find that Embry was just wearing a pair of summer cut-off shorts. I was in full winter garb. I looked at him, puzzled. "Embry, what are you doing? You'll chill to the bone." I had momentarily forgotten that werewolves had a very high body temperature, about 108.9.

He smiled at me, and before my eyes heat radiated from him and suddenly a huge, spotted gray wolf with a gray nose stood where Embry had been. I was so startled that I fell back and scrambled in the snow. He laid down next to me and motioned with his big head for me to climb onto his back. I looked into his billiard-ball sized eye and saw Embry in there. I felt relieved that he had not completely turned into an animal and climbed onto his back, tangling my fingers into his thick fur.

He took off straight into the forest. The cold wind whipped past us, but I was perfectly warm on my friend's back. I closed my eyes and just nestled into his fur, nearly falling asleep. Eventually, he stopped and I glanced over his head to see why. We were where he had been taking me.

We were in the clearing that had been my last camp before I ran into La Push.


End file.
